Srikrishna panel decision will satisfy all: Congress

While both Andhra/Rayalseema and Telangana leaders remain non-committal pending finalisation of the terms of reference of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee, the Congress said the Committee would take a decision to the satisfaction of all stakeholders in Andhra Pradesh.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told journalists here on Wednesday that the subject was “extremely sensitive” and the government had set in motion a process.

Asked why the statement did not use the word Telangana or give the terms of reference, she said: “all aspects will be considered and a decision taken to the satisfaction of all concerned.”

Meanwhile, Union Law Minister and Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh M. Veerappa Moily told The Hindu that the Committee chairman, Justice Srikrishna, would have a meeting with Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here and the terms of reference would be finalised. Asked whether it would be done this week, he quipped: “may be.”

An AICC leader reiterated the high command’s dictates on Sunday asking the Congress leaders to come out of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) or face disciplinary action. This is significant as some Telengana Congress leaders had said they would not quit the JAC till the “committee” was formed and its terms of reference made public. The party’s statement on pulling out of the JAC was applicable to all (read JACs on Andhra/Rayalseema and Telengana regions), he said.

He pointed out that the statement on the formation of the committee was carefully worded so that those supporting Telangana might infer that the Centre had set the ball rolling on formation of Telangana; and those from the Andhra/Rayalseema regions could interpret that it was only a “continuation of the consultation process” on whether Telengana should be formed or not.

The announcement on the committee, minus the terms of reference, was made deliberately as the Centre wanted to further cool down the atmosphere in the State, which had not witnessed major disturbances in the last one month; and also because the Telengana JAC had set February 7 as the deadline for the announcement of the committee; or the elected representatives would force for their resignations.